Panama
Always EP
Future Classic
Street: 10.03
Panama = Arcade Fire + Franz Ferdinand
It is hard to categorize this Sydney-based quartet, fronted by the talents of the classically trained Jarrah McCleary, and having now listened to the original—and fairly mellow—versions of three tracks comprising this, their sophomore EP, I would say: "disco-lite." Two of the three forthcoming remixes (which will follow digitally after the vinyl comes out) are available to preview on Soundcloud, and that doesn’t seem to change this description, except maybe upping it to “disco-ish.” This isn’t a criticism, as their sound is pleasant—if not a tad too languid for today’s dance floor proper—but again, this is more akin to background music at a party than the “house” genre it is being touted as. The title track is the winner here, and producer Erick Broucek (Hercules & Love Affair) returns for it and “Destroyer,” while the band helmed production on their own for the pretty “How We Feel.” –Dean O Hillis